Game apparatus.



No. 700,879. Patented May 27, I902. H. WUOLFE.

GAME APPARATUS.

(Application filed J'una 7, 1901.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

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Patented May 27, 1902.

H. WOOLFE. GAME APPARATUS. [Application flied June 7, 1901.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

fnEiI-iiillitlFillu!- 5|!!! ms Noam BETERS cu PhOTZLLITMD. WASHiNC-T UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY VVOOLFE, OF SEACOMBE, ENGLAND.

GAME APPARATUS.

tSPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 700,879, dated May 27, 1902.

Application filed June '7, 1901- SBI'ial NO. 63,625. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY Woo nE, of Seacombe,in the county of Chester,England,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game Apparatus, (for which application for patent has been made in Great Britain, No. 7,039, dated April 3, 1901,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object a top apparatus for practicing shooting, and it consists, essentially, in the combination of a spring-pistol, a target, a tray on which the missile falls from the target if it does not go through the bulls-eye, and a device behind the bulls eye whereby when the missile passes through all the missiles on the tray are tipped down an inclined chute and can be withdrawn by the person shooting; also, a device operated from the outside whereby the,

missilethat has gone through the bulls-eye shall be ejected onto the tray. I usually allow an opening around the tray, so that some of the missiles shall overflow and fall into a locked receptacle, and I also form a receptacle in the apparatus for batteries, so that it can be illuminated at night.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a longitudinal section of the apparatus; Fig. 2, a front elevation thereof; Fig. 3, a vertical section on line 00 y, Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a back elevation with the casing removed; Fig. 5, an enlarged longitudinal section of the piston; Fig. 6, an end view of the pistol; and Fig. 7, a sectional View of the pistol, taken at right angles to Fig. 5.

In the drawings, A is the casing of the apparatus, having a door B at one end and a roof a, consisting principally of glass.

0 is the target, having a hole or slit 0 for the bulls-eye.

D is the pistol, in which there is a hole (1, formed to receive the missile. This pistol, which is pivoted at D to the door of the casing, is provided with a barrelE, containing a spring 6 and having a piston F, against which the spring bears, such piston being hollowed out at f to fit the projectile. The trigger G carries an arm g, which is pivoted to a second arm G, formed as shown in Fig. 7 and having a projection g passing through a slot in front of the piston F. The arm G is provided with a spring g to keep it in position.

' H is the hinged tray in front of the target 0. I is a flat box which narrows near the bottom and is cut away at 2'. Into this cut-away portion a plate 'J projects, such plate being hinged at J and being held in position by a spring K is a bar attached to the hinged plate H and passing through a hole in plate J, and k a spring-plate bearing on the end of such bar. Two other bars L, Fig. 4, which are weighted to balance the tray, are also fixed to the hinged tray H.

M is a bar passing through the box I and across a-slit m in the target-plate C. This bar turns at right angles and extends to the front of the apparatus in closeproximity to a pivoted arm N, which is raised by the operatorpressinginwardlyaWeightedbell-crank lever 0, so as to engage the bar M and to raise it clear of the slit 071, so as to allow the missile shot through the bulls-eye to roll out onto the tray.

P is an inclined chute by which the missiles thrownofi the tray H are conveyed to a receptacle Q, which is open to the outside. On each side of the chute P is a chute B, Fig. 3, which conveys some of the missiles thrown off the tray H to a locked receptacle inside the casing.

S is a hopper which deflects the missiles onto the tray H, T a pane of glass for sighting purposes, andt a compartment for batteries.

The mode of action is as follows: The projectile on being pushed into the slot (1 in the pistol forces back the piston F, thereby compressing the spring 6, which holds the missile between the piston and the projection g, aforementioned. The operatorhavingturned the pistol on its pivot into position for shootin g pulls the trigger, thereby pressing the projection g against the missile and furthercompressing the spring 6. This movement is continued until the projection g as it is moved backward is withdrawn by the arm G coming into contact with any fixed member, such as the barrel E, Fig. 7. The missile being no longer confined is propelled forward by the spring E, and if the operator has held the pistol straight it will hit the bulls-eye, or, in other words, pass through the slit 0 and into the box I. If he has not, it will fall down onto the tray H or possibly bound into one of the chutes R and is lost to the operator. The missile which has passed through the bullseye or slit 0 falls down to the bottom of the box I and in doing so pushes aside the projecting plate J, thereby freeing the arm K, which is attached to the hinged tray H, and the latter, if there be any missiles on it, be ing heavier than the arm K and the counterweights L will turn on its hinge and deposit the missiles down the chute P into the receptacle Q, whence they can'be taken out by the. successful operator. The moment the missiles leave the tray it returns to its normal position by means of its counterweights L, and the arm K falls again into the hole in the spring-plate J and is thus locked. The last missile shot through the slit in the target is prevented from passing through the slit m onto the tray H-by the bar M; but the operator in taking the missiles out of the receptacle Q presses back the bell-crank lever O, and in so doing raises the arm N, which latter, striking the arm M, turns it and raises it clear of the slit m. The missile now rolls out onto the tray I-I, being guided so as to make it fall gently onto the tray by a sloping plate U and a stop V. By this means the missile is left on the tray to serve as a counterbalance in case of another successful shot.

The game consists in two or more individuals shooting alternately and is won by the party gaining the greatest number of projectiles. Thus if each have ten projectiles to start with and there be one projectile placed on the tray if A misses the target there are two projectiles on the tray, unless one of them has fallen into the locked box, when it counts to nobody. B possibly loses, too. hits the bulls-eye, in which case he gets the original projectile which was on the tray and the the target, failing to pass through the bullseye, means behind the target for collecting projectiles passing through the same and returning them to the operator, and means operated bythe person removing the projectile for permitting the projectile which has passed through the bulls-eye to pass out upon the.

said tray, substantially as described.

2. A toy shooting apparatus comprising a pistol pivoted to a casing, a target in front of the pistol provided with a hole or slot, a hinged tray arranged to receive projectiles which fail to pass through said slot, a chute beneath the hinged tray communicating with a receptacle outside the casing, and receptacles within the casing for receiving projectiles which bound off the tray laterally,subtantially as described.

3. A toy shooting apparatus comprising a pistol, a target opposite thereto, a hinged tray adjacent to the target, a counterweighted arm secured to said tray, a box at the back of thetarget, a spring-plate having a projection fittinginto a cut-away portion of the box, the free end of said arm engaging a hole in said box, a bar closing the passage from the box to the tray, and means for raising the bar so as to free the said passage, substantially as described.

4. A toy shooting apparatus comprising a projectile-ejecting means, a target arranged opposite thereto, a tray hinged in front of the target, a receptacle at the back of the target, a hinged spring-plate projecting inside the said receptacle and locking the said hinged tray, a missile-controlling arm blocking-a missile-aperture in the target, a bellcrank lever, and an arm for operating the same, substantially as described.

5. A toy shooting apparatus comprising a pistol, a target opposite thereto having a slot formed therein, a tray provided with an arm for controlling the same, chutes leading from the target, a receptacle at the rear of the target, a spring-plate arranged in said receptacle, an arm for blocking the said slot, a bellcrank lever,aud an arm for operating'the same. a receptacle for return projectiles, and a receptacle for retaining other projectiles within the apparatus, substantially as described.

(3. Atoy shooting apparatus or game mechanism, comprising a casing inclosing a target, means for discharging missiles at the target, the center of the said target being provided with an aperture through which successful shots may pass, means operated by the weight of the missile for permitting the successful shots to pass to the outside of the said casing so as to return them to the party shooting, and means for preventing the return of unsuccessful shots to the operator, substantially as described.

7. A game apparatus comprising an inclosing casing, an apertured target mounted therein,a pivoted shooting mechanism mounted in the wall of the casing and capable of being aimed at the target, means opposite the aperture of the target for collecting the missiles of. successful shots and returning them to the player, means for catching unsuccessful shots and depositing some of them permanently within the apparatus while others are left in such a position that a successful shot may cause them to be delivered outside the apparatus, substantially as described. I

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name, this22d day ofApril, 1901, in the presence of two subscribingwitnesses.

HY. WOOLFE.

Witnesses:

G. C. DYMOND, J. P. EVANS. 

